49ers biggest winners, losers from 2020 NFL Draft

The San Francisco 49ers ultimately had a very successful 2020 NFL Draft, landing two first-round talents and a perennial Pro Bowler. But with the winning moves come losers, too.

It’s going to be weird seeing the San Francisco 49ers take the field without perennial Pro Bowl left tackle Joe Staley out there, since the last time that happened was back in 2006 before the Niners used a first-round NFL Draft pick in the 2017 draft.

Staley officially announced his retirement on day three of the 2020 NFL Draft, wrapping up a storybook career with San Francisco where he was named to the Pro Bowl six times and forever cemented his legacy as a fan favorite.

Even if Staley unfortunately fell short of his top goal, winning a Super Bowl, he is still a major winner during the draft.

If for nothing else, going out on his own terms.

The Niners’ 2020 draft class generated plenty of winners, too. San Francisco faced a number of serious challenges this offseason, and Staley was only a part of the equation head coach Kyle Shanahan and general manager John Lynch had to figure out.

From the initial outlook, it looks as if Lynch and Shanahan were able to do just that.

But with any winner, there has to come a loser. Consider it the proverbial “ying and yang” of roster moves, and the 49ers’ actions during the draft will inevitably have a ripple effect over the coming weeks and months towards the regular season and beyond.

So, while it’s fun and easy to break down the winners, let’s also acknowledge the losers, too, which is what Niner Noise contrasts here.